12 NC chefs & restaurants — including 4 in Raleigh — are up for James Beard awards

Drew Jackson
·1 min read

The James Beard Foundation’s chef and restaurant semifinalists were announced Wednesday, and more North Carolina chefs and restaurants are up for national awards than ever before.

In all, North Carolina chefs, restaurants and bakeries snagged 12 total nominations, from the Southeast regional chef award, to national awards for hospitality and best new restaurant.

Here are the North Carolina semifinalists:

Outstanding Chef

  • Dean Neff, Seabird in Wilmington

Outstanding Restaurant

  • The Market Place in Asheville

  • The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge Inn in Blowing Rock

Best New Restaurant

  • Ajja in Raleigh

Outstanding Bakery

  • Bobby Boy Bakeshop in Winston-Salem

Raleigh chef Scott Crawford’s flagship restaurants Crawford & Son is a semifinalist for the James Beard award for Outstanding Hospitality, a national award.
Raleigh chef Scott Crawford’s flagship restaurants Crawford & Son is a semifinalist for the James Beard award for Outstanding Hospitality, a national award.

Outstanding Hospitality

  • Crawford & Son in Raleigh

Outstanding Bar

  • Bittersweet in Raleigh

Best Chef: Southeast (competing with GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

  • Daryl Cooper and Oscar Johnson, Jimmy Pearls in Charlotte

  • Jamie Davis, The Hackney in Washington

  • Jason Sellers, Plant in Asheville

  • Kanlaya “Gun” Supachana, Dalaya Thai Cuisine in Sylva

  • Preeti Waas, Cheeni Indian Food Emporium in Raleigh